1801
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Scalzo's column today in Vindicator
« on: March 03, 2011, 02:43:05 PM »
IP,
Understood. Thanks.
Understood. Thanks.
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1802
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Scalzo's column today in Vindicator
« on: March 03, 2011, 11:29:24 AM »
IP,
Your statement that the board of trustees impacts the distribution of athletic funding stuns me. Of course the board must approve the budget that division heads submit, but I had not heard of any "micro-managing" by the board, either within the academic divisions or within athletics, since the days of the Monus gang. Your contacts with athletic department personnel are well known, so can I assume that you know that members of the current board are indeed interfering in Strollo's spending decisions? If so, could you mention names?
Your statement that the board of trustees impacts the distribution of athletic funding stuns me. Of course the board must approve the budget that division heads submit, but I had not heard of any "micro-managing" by the board, either within the academic divisions or within athletics, since the days of the Monus gang. Your contacts with athletic department personnel are well known, so can I assume that you know that members of the current board are indeed interfering in Strollo's spending decisions? If so, could you mention names?
1803
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Guins Visit Valparaiso in First Round of Horizon League Championship
« on: March 02, 2011, 12:16:56 PM »
Scalzo had a column in the Vindicator today in which he was honest and pulled no punches. He reported that Slocum would be back for his option year, but he also suggested that Slocum was not the long-term solution. Scalzo pointed out his lack of enthusiasm with fans and media and the customary high turnover rate during his tenure.
Scalzo also bluntly made two points that our bland media usually ignore. First, this is "a poor recruiting area." I still bump into people that believe that we should be recruiting the junk that comes out of our local high schools. Second, he cited our "weak tradition." Those of us that followed the Dom teams from South High fieldhouse to the two near Ohio Valley conference tournament misses (by Rice but with Dom's players) might be offended by that statement. But it is true. That success was ancient history. Face it. We have stunk for about 25 years!
Finally, Scalzo noted the lack of concern for this constant losing by the general public. This is the most dangerous problem. Most casual fans are beyond caring. Most of our football fans don't even follow the basketball team, forget about attending games. And Scalzo implies: how do you increase the financial commitment when nobody seems to care? As distasteful as his comments are to the true fans on this site, they are right on the mark.
Scalzo also bluntly made two points that our bland media usually ignore. First, this is "a poor recruiting area." I still bump into people that believe that we should be recruiting the junk that comes out of our local high schools. Second, he cited our "weak tradition." Those of us that followed the Dom teams from South High fieldhouse to the two near Ohio Valley conference tournament misses (by Rice but with Dom's players) might be offended by that statement. But it is true. That success was ancient history. Face it. We have stunk for about 25 years!
Finally, Scalzo noted the lack of concern for this constant losing by the general public. This is the most dangerous problem. Most casual fans are beyond caring. Most of our football fans don't even follow the basketball team, forget about attending games. And Scalzo implies: how do you increase the financial commitment when nobody seems to care? As distasteful as his comments are to the true fans on this site, they are right on the mark.
1804
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Rach leaves YSU football team.
« on: February 26, 2011, 10:11:55 PM »
This should not surprise anybody, and there will be many more players who leave before next September. We endured the worst defense in the history of Youngstown State University last season. I fully expect between 9 and 11 new starters to take the field against Michigan State.
1805
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Lady Penguins Battle but Drop Heart-breaker at Wright State, 70-67
« on: February 21, 2011, 12:21:11 PM »
Lecter,
NCAA scholarships must be renewed every year. So Boldon could pull them, but, to our credit, the university has rarely done that. In this case, it is not the girls' fault that Hill and Martin misinterpreted their talent level and brought them here. They have a right to earn their degrees on the university's nickel. However, once next years juniors and seniors (except for Brown) understand that the incoming freshmen will get most of the playing time, they might freely elect to transfer down to D2 or D3 where they might be able to contribute.
NCAA scholarships must be renewed every year. So Boldon could pull them, but, to our credit, the university has rarely done that. In this case, it is not the girls' fault that Hill and Martin misinterpreted their talent level and brought them here. They have a right to earn their degrees on the university's nickel. However, once next years juniors and seniors (except for Brown) understand that the incoming freshmen will get most of the playing time, they might freely elect to transfer down to D2 or D3 where they might be able to contribute.
1806
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Lady Penguins Battle but Drop Heart-breaker at Wright State, 70-67
« on: February 20, 2011, 05:50:48 PM »
IP,
You are right, as usual. She is just a sophomore. Hopefully, she will quit along with the other dead weight that Boldon is stuck with for several more years. I certainly agree that Hill and Martin are two sides of the same coin, but at least Martin recruited Brown and Schlegel. Also got that Rohrs girl who has now missed two years with injuries. I wonder if she is a DI player? I wonder if she will ever play basketball again? Anyway, I am confident that Boldon will only recruit real basketball players and not athletes with limited basketball skills and zero basketball IQ.
You are right, as usual. She is just a sophomore. Hopefully, she will quit along with the other dead weight that Boldon is stuck with for several more years. I certainly agree that Hill and Martin are two sides of the same coin, but at least Martin recruited Brown and Schlegel. Also got that Rohrs girl who has now missed two years with injuries. I wonder if she is a DI player? I wonder if she will ever play basketball again? Anyway, I am confident that Boldon will only recruit real basketball players and not athletes with limited basketball skills and zero basketball IQ.
1807
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Lady Penguins Battle but Drop Heart-breaker at Wright State, 70-67
« on: February 20, 2011, 12:31:25 PM »
Boldon is the right man for the job, if he does not implode until he can get a nucleus of his recruits into the program. I watched the end of yesterday's game on the internet, and it set a brand new standard for "losing dumb." With a one point lead and eleven seconds left, one of Hill's recruits missed a one-on-one. Hey, no big deal - all of our basketball players regardless of gender choke on the free throw line. But then it happened. Boldon had left the free throw lane uncontested, to avoid just what transpired. The Hill recruit, with no basketball IQ whatsoever, slammed right into the back of the Wright State rebounder, who promptly drained the free throws and another potential win went down the drain.
Boldon inherited a team with only two division I players, one of them a freshman who had never played a college game (and promptly got hurt before league play began.) So with only one real DI player, this guy has played numerous competitive games against hopeless odds. Next year, with Brown back, the freshman recovered from her injury, and three newcomers who, by default, must be light-years ahead of Hill's recruits, Boldon might actually start to turn this disaster of a program around.
Boldon inherited a team with only two division I players, one of them a freshman who had never played a college game (and promptly got hurt before league play began.) So with only one real DI player, this guy has played numerous competitive games against hopeless odds. Next year, with Brown back, the freshman recovered from her injury, and three newcomers who, by default, must be light-years ahead of Hill's recruits, Boldon might actually start to turn this disaster of a program around.
1808
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: men win
« on: February 20, 2011, 12:12:31 PM »
A MAC team with a winning league record losing to the bottom team in the Horizon League. I love it. And the Cleveland media will complain some more about the MAC being a single-bid conference! We would be a middle of the pack team in that league!
1809
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Vikings win
« on: February 15, 2011, 12:18:27 PM »
In that controversial Vindicator interview with Strollo, Scalzo noted that in the past decade the Mahoning Valley sent about 20 athletes to the National Football League but only one kid played DI basketball for four full seasons (several began in such programs then transferred to a lower level.) Those of you who criticize Slocum have plenty of shortcomings to emphasize, but the man cannot be blamed for failing to recruit nonexistent local DI prospects. The absolutely putrid nature of local high school basketball might be the single most significant drawback for YSU, regardless of the head coach. If you do not believe that, try watching a televised replay of a local high school basketball game.
1810
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Softball team eager to begin season
« on: February 10, 2011, 07:37:17 PM »
No pitching whatsoever last season. Sure hope that has changed.
1811
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: 1 dead, 1 critical, 10 wounded near YSU
« on: February 06, 2011, 08:32:38 PM »
It is not enough for our black students to just attend the university. To be successful in life, these kids must disassociate themselves from the criminal element that they may have grown up with. Unfortunately, many cannot seem to do that. Remember that Jermaine Hopkins was murdered by the worthless childhood friends of Darnell Bracey. This episode is disgustingly similar. Street predators show up at that ill-advised after-party, get escorted out, then return with their freakin' guns. I am really beyond disgusted at the way that these relatively small bands of punks can destroy everything good about Youngstown. I might be more disgusted by the defense attorneys that make a good living by recycling these same punks through the justice system over and over and over again, and by the gutless prosecutors who plea bargain instead of securing maximum sentences at trials.
1812
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Guins vs Valpo
« on: February 06, 2011, 01:18:09 PM »
I have a question for Indy, IP, or anybody else who follows college basketball much more closely than I do. Is hand-checking legal in college now? I am not talking about placing a hand on the small of the back of your stationary opponent. I mean placing your hand on your opponent as he dribbles for fifteen feet. Or keeping contact with an opponent as he moves without the ball. Half of the Valpo team did that last night, especially one of their bigs, #45 and most especially guard, #15. I will not rant if the college rule is now the freakin' NBA. But if hand-checking is illegal, as hoops noted, that was a travesty yesterday.
1813
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Congrats...YSU Coaches / Staff
« on: February 03, 2011, 11:51:18 AM »
In the old days when we recruited a kid outside the area, we definitely had to wait until we saw him to form impressions. Internet video and television coverage of high school games changed that. IP is correct to suggest caution, but the video on these kids looks very good. For example, I watched Stubbs from Maple Heights play in the state championship game in consecutive years. He was a dominating player. To me, he was more dangerous than Teague, simply because he produced against quality competition and Ursuline didn't play anybody in the playoffs. Some of our other recruits look just as impressive. As someone else pointed out on another thread, we will finally have DI size. And on paper, at least, we would seem to have true competition at every position. The only real concerns that I have are the academic abilities of the jucos and the Harding player that could not get into Michigan.
1814
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Signing Day - Youngstown State Penguin Class of 2011
« on: February 02, 2011, 08:08:14 PM »
I don't have any information, but I would expect that a significant number of players from last season will not return. For example, the logjam at quarterback and at running back will not continue. It will be a good thing to see quality players leave because they cannot get on the field rather than to see players leave because they could not compete at this level. We experienced way too much of the latter during the past decade.
I am really impressed by Wolford after his first year plus. Last winter, he did not turn to multiple jucos but rather played the 2010 season largely with the talent handed down from Heacock. That worked well on offense; on defense it was a catastrophe. Now with a firm grasp of the talent level on hand, he recruited coast-to-coast to fill our needs. Does anybody seriously believe that Heacock and staff could have recruited these kids from the South and from California? He also did not neglect the Mahoning Valley during a distinctly "down" recruiting year on the local scene. Most of the local recruits might be projects, but Wolford understands that he not only must win games but also reinvigorate interest in our program among casual fans. We might all be setting ourselves up for more bitter disappointments, but I feel perfectly confident that we will soon ascend back to the top of the FCS universe.
I am really impressed by Wolford after his first year plus. Last winter, he did not turn to multiple jucos but rather played the 2010 season largely with the talent handed down from Heacock. That worked well on offense; on defense it was a catastrophe. Now with a firm grasp of the talent level on hand, he recruited coast-to-coast to fill our needs. Does anybody seriously believe that Heacock and staff could have recruited these kids from the South and from California? He also did not neglect the Mahoning Valley during a distinctly "down" recruiting year on the local scene. Most of the local recruits might be projects, but Wolford understands that he not only must win games but also reinvigorate interest in our program among casual fans. We might all be setting ourselves up for more bitter disappointments, but I feel perfectly confident that we will soon ascend back to the top of the FCS universe.
1815
YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: New Basketball Coach
« on: February 01, 2011, 07:54:27 PM »
Dan Peters left primarily because he was frustrated coaching basketball at a football school where the athletic director was also the football coach. So he would jump at the opportunity to return to the football school where the athletic director was a former football player for his old boss. He would love to compete in the Horizon League with a lower recruiting budget than any rival. He would enjoy trying to rebuild a program in this amazingly fertile basketball recruiting zone called the Mahoning Valley. Yep, seem perfectly logical to me. 